Pleasure as Medicine: Yes, Literally

Let me say this as plainly as I can. Pleasure is not a luxury. It is not indulgent. It is not selfish. Pleasure is medicine. Not in a poetic sense. In a physiological one.

Your nervous system needs it. Your immune system benefits from it. Your heart, your gut, your mood, your sleep, and your ability to feel safe in your own skin all depend on your capacity to feel good.

When we talk about pleasure, people often think of sex. And yes, sex can be a beautiful part of the story. But pleasure is much bigger than that. It includes breath, touch, warmth, safety, laughter, movement, connection, and orgasm. Pleasure is any experience that brings your body into a state of regulated aliveness. It is what happens when your nervous system says, I am safe enough to open.

Now let’s talk science. When you experience pleasure, your body releases a cascade of chemicals. Oxytocin, often called the bonding hormone, softens the stress response and supports trust, intimacy, and emotional resilience. Endorphins create a natural high and reduce the perception of pain. Dopamine brings motivation and joy. Even gentle, non-sexual touch can lower cortisol levels, reduce inflammation, and regulate blood pressure.

Touch by itself can help regulate your system. Whether it is your own hand on your chest, someone brushing your hair, or a long hug, safe and consensual touch signals to your brain that you are no longer under threat. That you are not alone. That you are allowed to soften.

This is not spiritual fluff. This is biology.

Pleasure restores what stress depletes. It brings blood back to the digestive tract. It brings breath back to the diaphragm. It restores circulation to the skin and to the genitals. It supports the vagus nerve, which plays a major role in emotional regulation, digestion, and recovery.

So when people say they do not have time for pleasure, I tell them they do not have time to ignore it.

This is especially true for those healing from trauma. Because trauma lives in the body, healing must live there too. That includes somatic practices, but it also includes moments of safe, real pleasure. When you can feel something good in your body, even for just a few seconds, you begin to rewire your system. You start to believe that not all sensation leads to harm. That not all touch is dangerous. That you can feel and still stay here.

When pleasure is consistent, even in small doses, your capacity grows. You begin to trust yourself again. You begin to sense your own needs. You begin to want more for your body, not in terms of performance or stimulation, but in terms of truth and presence and care.

This is not about chasing a high. This is about coming home.

Your body was built for rhythm, not for nonstop stress. You were designed for rest and regulation, for warmth and laughter, for intimacy and recovery. You were meant to be touched with care. To breathe fully. To feel safe inside your own skin.

This is why sexual health is not separate from overall health. They are woven together. You cannot starve your erotic self and expect to thrive. You cannot shut down sensation and expect your body to feel alive.

So begin with one moment. One breath. One hand resting softly on your belly. One touch that feels like relief. One sigh that says, I am here. I get to feel good. Not because I earned it. Because I need it.

Pleasure is not a distraction from healing. It is part of it. It is not a reward. It is a resource. And you are allowed to have it. Not someday. Now.

With love,
Nina